Let’s face it, when most of us think of an office copier, we think of that scene from Office Space in which three office employees demolish their printer with a baseball bat. If you’ve ever been frustrated by a copier that doesn’t perform as needed – you can relate. Which is why, like a car purchase, you should really think about what you need a copier to do before you go all in. Thinking about the bells and whistles desired on your new car is easy because you’re more familiar with cars, and let’s face it – they are much racier than copiers. Herein lies the ultimate question - What should I look for in an office copier to avoid being casted in Office Space 2: Revenge of the Copier?
Drumroll…… it depends. What kind of office do you have and what are your printing habits? In general, here are the things you should think about when selecting a copier for your office.
1. Features
Every business prioritizes different functions for their office equipment. If you work in a law office that needs a fast printer to manage time spent on clients, you will value a different feature set than, say, an educator who needs to print a file from the cloud or a healthcare facility that requires EHR compatibility.
Key features for your consideration:
Print speeds (copiers print at varying speeds, measured in pages per minute or ppm)
The friendliness of the user display, and whether you need a pull-out keyboard
If you need a media or USB port to print on the go
Access to cloud files and integration with software that is important to your business
Scan capabilities – do you often scan two-sided items?
Finishing options (booklet-making, stapling, etc.)
2. Mobile Print, Copy and Scan
Work is no longer tied to the desktop, and printing shouldn’t be either. If you’ve ever walked across the building to get lunch and meant to grab your document on the way, but you realize you forgot to press print when you were at your desk, you’re in luck. Most copiers today offer the capability to print, copy, and scan from your phone.
3. Warm-Up/Wake Speeds
This one is a top contender among the reasons you’d give your copier a beat down. When compared to a minute in the microwave or a minute on the treadmill minute, a copier warm-up minute definitely feels the longest. Particularly when you are already late for your meeting! Printers and copiers vary anywhere from 5 to 45 seconds in their warmup speeds. Some have a built-in, walk-up motion sensor that makes them ready for action when you are. If time is money to your organization, you want to pay attention to warm-up speeds.
4. Supplies and Service
It’s easy to overlook the impact of your copier supplies, but they will be an ongoing expense that affects your bottom line. One size does not fit all in the ink and toner department. Some components are more expensive than others and provide a level of output that you may not need. Also, if you’re the type of person who waits for the illumination of the gas or check engine light in your car, you need to look for a copier provider that offers automatic replenishment and/or service monitoring. Doing so will ensure that you never run out of supplies, your machine is always up and running, and you know your costs upfront. Leave the baseball bat at home.
5. Color Consistency
Copiers are offered in monochrome (black and white) and color. Think about the documents that you normally print to decide if limiting to black and white is a realistic possibility. For those that know they need color, it may be important to make sure that the copier you choose offers Pantone matching or a color consistency system to deliver high-quality color output.
If you are faced with the daunting task of purchasing a new office copier, thinking about these components can help guide you in the right direction. Contact us today to discover how Sharp printers can transform the way you engage with customers, expanding your reach more than ever before!